Dr. Alan Mantooth, professor of electrical engineering at AAEA member the University of Arkansas and president of Power Electronics Society, announced a $1 million prize will be given to the winner of a competition to solve worldwide energy poverty.

Demand for advanced energy technologies and services continues to grow in Arkansas, as illustrated by the 2017 Annual Report from AAEA and its educational affiliate, the Arkansas Advanced Energy Foundation.

Business leaders and solar industry executives in Arkansas and across the nation believe the decision will have a clear price impact on a $28 billion domestic solar industry that relies on imports for some 80 percent of its solar panel supply.

Katie Niebaum, executive director of the Arkansas Advanced Energy Association, which has grown into a major promoter of renewable energy and the Arkansas businesses that work in the field, called the ruling a victory for free markets.

Solar power kept its momentum in Arkansas in 2017, with businesses, farms and even a telephone company reaching for the sun, but the long-term fate of home-generated power faced high noon on Nov. 30. That’s when state regulators heard arguments for and against letting utilities essentially pay less than their retail rate to net-metering customers — those whose solar panels put excess wattage onto the grid.

“Today’s Power has given South Arkansas the opportunity to be a leader in the solar development of Arkansas, and now with our (OECC & SATCO) ability to provide fiber the future for south Arkansas in general is very bright, and we are looking forward to the sun shining.” - Mark Cayce, GM, Ouachita Electric Cooperative

After the state attorney general's office made a case Thursday to allow Arkansas utilities to essentially pay less for electricity generated by customers with solar power systems, citing language in a 2015 law, the law's sponsor begged to differ.